If I was looking for one bolt action rifle for an heirloom and hunt, money no object, there's only one answer; Echols Classic Sporter built on one of his 98 Mauser actions.

The 30-06 I've hunted with in Africa is an heirloom because of all the stories that goes with it. It is but a meager Ruger M77 that has had a little tweaking but nothing overboard. It would take 3 pages to tell the stories of everywhere that rifle and I have traveled and the game it helped me take, I wouldn't trade that for all the fancy guns with no history.

One piece of advice from a veteran African game hunter, 30-06 is awesome and will be plenty for most plains game but .300 WM is actually better suited for the larger varieties as well as the smaller more skittish guys like springbok that are always really long shots.

Haven't been in Echols shop since he was sharing space with Paul Hodgins.
Back then he was all in on the Model 70.

Weird on my part, but does anyone have good content to why the Mauser 98s (made by Mauser, today) are $14,000 - $15,000?

https://www.mauser.com/us/MAUSER-98-STD-Expert/80112511

It appears they have double extractors for dangerous game and nice wood stocks, so there’s additional reliability, but it seems like that’s it. I could be super ignorant, but does that sound like not much?

Wondering if there was a matte stock proxy of this rifle you can ding up for like $4,000      



It seems like Sako 85s have set triggers and are pretty close to what I’m describing. Heard maybe there was an extractor issue with those, however.

Because Mauser still build rifles like they should be built to function correctly 100% of the time. At one point time in the early 20th century Oberndorf had nearly 200 different magazines for the large ring 98 Mauser to ensure proper controlled round feed.

Modern CRF rifles are only kinda sorta CRF. Universal magazines and generic followers can let a round slip out, so extractors are designed to also work as a push feed rifle.

I have never owned anything in the price range you are describing or for a african safaris. But i will say I hunt with a 100% stock (i did shorten LOP since I am only 5'6") plain old Tikka Vail. The Tikka with a 2-10 VX5HD shoots about .75 MOA or less all day. Action is amazinly smooth,  feeds super smooth and it 100% reliable. I would think the Sakos would be even nicer.

All i am saying it that from a funtion perspective i think a nice Tikka, Sakko, CZ or several other good off the shelf rifle will get you what you want.

But i do understand wanting something specific. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing more beautiful that a classic Mauser action in nice wood. But if i was out hunting on a important hunt (arnt they all important) i would be hard pressed to not go with a modern quality synthetic. I would think something like a Mannors would be lighter, stronger and  have more resistance to change in humidity during travel. But I admit i dont know a lot about super high-end wood stocks.

I have seen a few custom hunting rifles done out here. Last one was 300 WM  built on some type of high end action, carbon Proof barrel in a Mannors stock. It was reasonably light weight, ballanced well and shot amazingly. I saw the 800 yards targets and was simply amazed. But i admit that hunting mountains in Montana might have different needs than Africa. But maybe not.


I know i got side tracked.  But I just wanted to say that some of the nice off the shelf rifles are amazinly good. Personally I like what the other guy said about a rifle being "heirloom quality becouse of the stories it could tell". Or he said something like that   Good luck and post pictures of what you end up with and how the hunt goes.

I would agree a nice off the shelf rifle like a nice Win 70 or older Rem 700 upgraded with BC/HS synth stock and good trigger. It will be Heirloom when you get back.

Just got back from SA / Limpopo and took a 700LR 300wm it was a bit overkill esp on impala & Nyala , if I go again I would take my Rem 700 in 30:06.

One gun I regret ever parting with was a vintage , clip fed Savage 110C. Walnut stock, the action was smooth as glass and would put 3 shots through one hole at 100 yards

You don't have to spend $14,000 on a Mauser. Instead contact Musgrave Wapenfabriek in Ermelo, South Africa.

Musgrave builds a fantastic custom 98 Mauser and it is the best value in heirloom firearms today.


https://www.musgraverifles.co.za/musgrave-field

With the Rand conversion rate, some of those are $20k rifles and they are pretty bland.

IMO
YMMV

On the few convwersion sites I checked, you're high by a factor of ten.  Two grand and change for a Musgrave seems like a deal to me.

Lol my savage m110 in 30-06 that I paid $350 for shoots under 1 MOA .  And it came with a scope lol.  I bet a Ruger American would do the same or better.

You're out by a factor of ten.

I bought a Musgrave stock and here it is mounted on a Husqvarna 640.

You, sir, have impeccable taste in rifles.

Yeah, I made a post about the conversion website.
Post has gone missing.

You mean like this one?  ….





RSE = Ruger Safari Express rifles. Non-magnums generally, the last run were in .30-06 and .270.

The RSMs were the magnum line. .375 H&H, 458, etc.

fluffy is completely correct here.

that is what you should do.

choose a caliber you can get ammo for and buy it there.

30-06 all the way, 180 grain bullets kills everything.

I love wood stocks, but man i trash rifles when i hunt and like  composite stocks.


if you want factory: sako model 85 all the way, detachable magazines, modern tech, any weight and caliber you want, also carbon fiber stocks of you want super hi tech and not crazy money.

I shoot a sako in 30-06, the exit hole on a deer is quite large and they drop.

my tricked out Weatherby Vanguard (with traditional Weatherby wood), is insanely accurate with most 180gr loadings. spend the extra money on glass for 2 scopes and quick release mounts or buy 2 identical rigs.

those are pretty bitchin.

I recently setup a “budget” Sako L61R in 30-06. I have $725 into it all in and it’ll hold MOA.

Attached File

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Rear iron sight is missing.  ….. Hard pass.